A New Jersey man who likens himself a real-life superhero was arrested last Tuesday after allegedly approaching people in a Home Depot parking lot and saying, “Anyone need some help? I’m here to save the day.” Matthew Argintar, aged 23, was wearing a Batman mask, bulletproof vest, elbow pads, and a cape. Mansfield Township police say they also found handcuffs on his person. He was taken to Hackettstown Regional Medical Center for evaluation and later charged with disorderly conduct and unlawful possession of handcuffs. If convicted, the charges carry a maximum sentence of seven months in jail. Seven months. Argintar’s attorney, William Ware, called it a “a classic case of overkill”. Thanks, Captain Obvious, Esq.

Argintar, an Army veteran, said he was trying to inspire hope by dressing like a superhero. He told the Lehigh Valley Express-Times he had been “doing this for months” at night. “We are out there to try and inspire hope because that’s what the people need right now: Hope.” […] Ware acknowledged people are on edge after [that taintbadger whose name I won’t print here] allegedly opened fire on a crowded theater in Aurora, Colo. during a showing of The Dark Knight Rises. “The timing is unfortunate,” Ware said. “Some people might disagree with the timing, but from his viewpoint it was perfect timing, because he thought he was trying to turn it on his head.” [CBSNewYork]

Here with a counterpoint is someone who doesn’t think Argintar was inspiring hope. Take it away, catastrophizing soccer mom!

Many customers retreated to their cars after seeing the man, said Matty Auer, of Mansfield Township, who pulled into the store’s parking lot just before 3 p.m. She had just picked up her 8-year-old son, his friend and her friend’s daughter from soccer camp and planned to quickly run into the store, she said. At first she thought the man was walking to or from a nearby airsoft arena and didn’t think anything particularly odd about his presence. When she parked her car next to the man, he began waving at the children. He smiled “creepily” and spoke inaudibly, she said. She then realized he was wearing a Batman mask.

“The only thing I could think of was what happened in the movie theater,” she said. […] Auer drove away from the man and asked a Home Depot employee to call 911. [Lehigh Valley Express-Times]

That’s the only thing you could think of? Really?

When the man reached into his pocket, to grab what turned out to be a phone, Auer called the police. “You just didn’t know what he was capable of,” she said. [Lehigh Valley Express-Times]

Yes, he might have been capable of . . . making a phone call. Perhaps even texting someone. And what if he tried to play Words With Friends? Harrowing. We don’t know how she survived. So brave. So brave.

I’m torn. On one hand, I really don’t like when people put on masks in settings where people wouldn’t expect to see a masked person who isn’t robbing the place. Doing any prank or stunt that could reasonably trigger a panic is a classic douche move. On the other hand, Matty Auer sounds like she’d be real fun at parties. There are no clear winners here.

So are all these people planning on being in a bomb shelter on Halloween? Clearly this guy should be carrying a sign or something. maybe post some flyers in his are so people are aware of what he is doing, but other than that, could of been worse, could of had his face painted like a juggalo (woop). . . it is about time neighborhood watch stepped it though, start locally think globally,.. if anyone should be profiled by how they dress, the Shriner circus creeps me the hell out man.

But now i cant help but wonder….Who’s Going To Watch The Watchmen……The street mime world is going to take a huge hit on this one…

This is why people really need to stop watching 24 hour news. It fills them with all this hysteria, emotion, and fear that ultimately leads to irrational actions. I’m pretty sure this guy would have been easy to spot out if he had a gun or something, but it seems he just had a tshirt on and a mask. How’s he going to hid an automatic weapon with that outfit Soccer Mom? Hmm? I agree with this man’s motives, it’s time people stop preying on people’s fears and terrors that plauge our country and time for someone to just go out and try to put a smile on the faces of some scared and paranoid people.

There are better ways to inspire hope than dressing up like a comic book character and wandering around a Home Depot parking lot looking for nogoodniks without even telling the people that work there. Maybe he could volunteer his time. I imagine he knows that there are proper channels you can go through if you want to help people. Volunteering would work better than wearing a mask and scaring the shit out of the general public while theyre already pissed off because they are going to Home Depot. There are children and seniors sick and in nursing homes and hospitals plus homeless people in shelters that would benefit a lot more by having some company and help than by having some jag in a mask trying to thwart crime in a hardware store parking lot. He doesnt really want to help people though, he wants to play dress up and pretend he is some sort of superhero. Volunteer work is probably too real life for this child in a man’s body.

Also, not to be a party pooper but I’m not thrilled about strangers coming up to me in general when i am out, trying to go about my business, much less a guy in a mask wearing a bullet proof vest (this is even before the taintbadger that will not be mentioned incident). If someone approaches me, dressed like that and muddles something in a Batman voice I am: A) most likely going to call the cops B) Going to move in the opposite direction with as little contact as possible 3) Definitely looking for the most ready available object to make part of his skull flat if needed.

Freedom of expression is one of best outlets in society for creating immediate awareness. . .i’m not going to live my life in fear, thinking i need to run every time i see someone in a mask…..anyone want to wiki link how halloween came to be….living a negative and antisocial life is exactly what the terrorists/fear-mongers want..they want you to ignore your community..they want you to assume the worse in everything…they want you (not you personally) sitting at home in front of your mac book, waiting for the next tragedy to strike….

what do you think will happen once we let go of the last bit of faith in humanity…?

What about the people’s right to not be harassed by weirdos on private property? He can hang out all he wants if its okay with the business owner (doubtful) but sidling up on people (especially women and children) in a parking lot wearing a mask and bulletproof vest with handcuffs is not cool. I’m all for individuals rights and expression but write poem, sing a song, preach to a crowd as Batman in a public place if you are trying to express yourself, if you are trying to help people, volunteer. I like most people have my guard up when I am in a parking lot, I dont live in fear but in a state of constant awareness, living in a violent city will do that to you and I’ve seen enough movies and watched the news enough to know that parking lots is where bad shit goes down sometimes.

Plus, I dont think this is some form of artistic or social expression, dont act like if this goofball can’t run around acting like Batman and making people uncomfortable, the terrorists win. This is someone acting out because he is weird and wants attention and that sort or weirdness and wanting can have some unpleasant results. If he wants to be a good person and save people, become a fireman or paramedic. You want to inspire hope, become a Big Brother to a kid that needs one, bet it is more rewarding than wide eyed looks and fear from strangers, plus 7 months in the pokey.

you have your right to your opinion, and i do respect that. But guys have been doing this for a long time now and no one sweats it, they go out they do their thing, they call the cops. their not out there running up on people banging on the side of a mini van. the guy was smiling and waving asking to help out. she could of seen him and been like yeah carry this bag of soil or w/e to my car. but as soon as a shit bag psychopath name drops a comic book character its the end of an era… he wore a gas mask not a batman not a joker one. he could of easily name dropped a villian from a matrix movie (not so current) and every goth kid would be dealing with the drama. imagine if he would of said it was for a race or sexual preference…

a seed has been planted in peoples mind. it could of easily been anything with a statement so violent…This guy chose his path, and being busted for being a border line vigilante is part of the consequences…

and think about it, we buckle to people playing dress up there will be no more comic con cost-play, no more dressing up for movie premiers, no themed parties, no more role playing in the park, no more civil war reenactments… i mean i wouldnt miss most those things, but as a society why allow such miss guided hate.

i dont blame her for calling the cops, his approach was really wrong, but his heart was in the right place….but to know the truth after, and still assume and insult the guy…come on…for all we know this guy has saved lives by deterring or preventing possible dangers….but we got to lock him up for a hand cuff technicality…and judge him for attempting to portray a image that has stood for justice and humanity for about 100 years….

I want to see the numbers. whats the crime rate like in places where they have these guys playing dress up? have they made a positive impact?….

Turns out if you read some of the comments posted on the story, people who know this guy are saying he is a bit batty (i.e. crazy) in real life. He apparently is a vet suffering from PTSD. I hope he gets the help he needs.

in my personal experience, i have been held at gun point at a bus stop (clearly stating i have nothing to offer a thief), but if it wasnt for someone being across the street and just shouting “i see you” i could be gone… and in a world where people look the other way more and more everyday, its nice to know that people still take the time to walk their neighborhoods and not just put a sticker on their house and pretend they care every time someone is stepping on their lawn…

I feel ya Venice, people are over reactionary and I dont want to see Batman get lumped in with that shit goblin for the rest of our lives either.

Superheros are a good thing but in real life you dont need to wear a costume to act like a hero. Just like that guy did when he called out across the street when you were at the bus stop, he didnt need to be dressed like Batman to be a hero. Just like the patrons of home depot did when they saw this weirdo. He was acting strangely, they called attention to it and it turns out he may really be crazy so who knows what could have happened if they didn’t. Probably nothing but now he should get at least some help if he does have mental problems.

yeah i dont know the guy for sure lol and im not really trying to defend him, but the idea…this guy could have a stock pile at home who knows for certain till the investigate…

one of those commenter’s said they were his superior…its their duty to acknowledged signs of of distress in the people they command…saying it now seems a little sleazy to me.

and think about it the last ten years superheros have dictated the majority of entertainment and media….and a lot of that gets into peoples opinions if they want it to or not… if this is the way it should be done or not, it defiantly has the country’s attention and speaks to our generation…it can easily be turned into a positive as fast as a negative. . .

if it was a large group of people dressed exactly the same but with signs and flyers it would of been a whole different spin by the media…

Pretty bad form for this guy. I would have reacted similarly if I saw some creepy 6 foot+ guy who looks like Bane standing outside of a HOME DEPOT of all places.. At least in Seattle we had that Phoenix dude, who patrolled AT NIGHT and didn’t look like a freaking super-VILLAIN.
Sorry man, you looked like a creeper, not someone who inspires hope and good in people. Get a job man.

It sounds like this guy is just a little crazy. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for waiting for that one person in this county to pull a “Batman” and start working on crime from the shadows and not wanting to be found, but not one who’s trying to wave at kids and scaring the shit out of everyone in a parking lot.